Average household disposable income is €43,333

The CSO's Survey of Income and Living Conditions has got some attention, particularly for its insights on inequality. However, there are some under useful figures in it. One is that in 2010 average household disposable income in Ireland was €43,333. Granted this is down 12% on the €49,043 that was recorded in 2008 (though the 5.4% decrease in the CPI over the two years will have ameliorated some of the drop). The 2010 figure is pretty much in line with what it was in 2006.

This is a weekly disposable of €830 a week. Plenty of scope for at least some households to go an a holiday on that!

There is undoubtedly a huge number of households in serious difficulty. The numbers "at risk of poverty" are around 720,000. For a family of two adults and two children the threshold is a disposable income of €25,127 or €483 a week. I appreciate the difficulties that those below this threshold are enduring and how quickly this money will be consumed by basic necessities but there are 3,850,000 people above the threshold.

Of the 15.8% of the population who are at risk of poverty, 39.4% of these experienced two or more types of enforced deprivation. There is 6.2% of the population, or 275,000, who are at risk of poverty and experiences two or more types of depravation. The are 4,300,000 people not in this category and 61.6% of those at risk of poverty did not report two or more types of depravation.

The 11 types of depravation are (percentage of those at risk of poverty reporting this for 2010):

Without heating at some stage in the last year (17.9%)
Unable to afford a morning, afternoon or evening out in the last fortnight (32.0%)
Unable to afford two pairs of strong shoes (5.5%)
Unable to afford a roast once a week (10.0%)
Unable to afford a meal with meat, chicken or fish every second day (5.8%)
Unable to afford new (not second-hand) clothes (13.9%)
Unable to afford a warm waterproof coat (4.6%)
Unable to afford to keep the home adequately warm (12.2%)
Unable to afford to replace any worn out furniture (30.3%)
Unable to afford to have family or friends for a drink or meal once a month (28.0%)
Unable to afford to buy presents for family or friends at least once a year (7.1%)

There is still a requirement for huge progress to be made in this area, and the figures show that we are going in the wrong direction but this remains an economy in which most people are reasonably well off by domestic standards and hugely so by global standards.

There is still a requirement for huge progress to be made in this area, and the figures show that we are going in the wrong direction but this remains an economy in which most people are reasonably well off by domestic standards and hugely so by global standards.

Apart for the obvious question of what "requirement" to do what exactly? by who? to whom? and who will pay for it? .... what the study doesnt say is what did they spend their money on? or how much tax these people paid or the effects of the rip-off nature of the untradable Irish service sector which picks the pockets of their customers

About Politics.ie

Politics.ie is one of Ireland's leading politics and current affairs discussion websites with more than 600,000 visitors a month. Founded in 2003, Politics.ie has one of the most engaged, respected and influential politics and current affairs communities.